Eva Longoria as
Gabrielle Solis Eva Longoria was born on March 15, 1975 in Corpus Christi, Texas, and was raised under the Catholic faith. She was a student at Roy Miller High School, and pursued her tertiary education at Texas A&M University-Kingsville, from where she graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Kinesiology. In 1998, she was hailed Miss Corpus Christi, USA, and upon graduating participated in a talent contest that gave her the opportunity to head to Los Angeles.
When Longoria arrived in Los Angeles, she caught the attention of a theatrical agent, who in turn gave her a contract. Shortly thereafter, she made her television debut in the popular teen series,
Beverly Hills 90210 , and then guest appeared in the daytime drama,
General Hospital . In 2001, she was given the role of Isabella Brana Williams on another daytime drama,
The Young and the Restless . Longoria left the show after two seasons, and went on to star in such productions as Dragnet, Senorita Justice and The Dead Will Tell.
She reached A-List celebrity status when she was cast as Gabrielle Solis in the award-winning television series, Desperate Housewives. The show started airing in 2004, and was an instant hit among American viewers. Because of the show's rapid rise to success, many have led to perceive Longoria as an overnight sensation, to which she replied, “I think it's funny when people say I'm an overnight sensation, because I've been working at it for 10 years.” The role has garnered Longoria a 2005 Golden Globe Award nomination for Best Performance by an Actress in a Televison Series- Musical or Comedy. Despite her success on the show, Longoria has claimed that she does not want to renew her contract once it has expired.
Her additional acting credits include The Sentinel, Harsh Times and Carlita's Secret (direct-to-video film that she also co-produced). Longoria has been through one marriage and has been romantically linked with various names in the entertainment industry. Her first marriage, which was to her General Hospital co-star
Tyler Christopher , lasted for almost two years. Currently, she is married to NBA star Tony Parker.